Nursing Excellence: A Non-Profit Organization

First, we must ask who the stakeholders are when it comes to any nursing program. This is a wide universe, for the stakeholders are many. First, of course, we have instructors at the university level, most of whom have been or are practicing professionals. Then there are the administrators of the program who must continually search out money and grants to keep the program going. We then move into the public sector: patients, families, physicians, support staff at healthcare facilities, healthcare administration, HMOs, private insurers, and governmental agencies (Colvin, et.al., 2008). Each has a role to play within the evaluation process.

A profession can be defined as a “prestigious occupation with a high degree of identification among its member that requires a length and rigorous education in an intellectually demanding and theoretically based course of study; that engages in rigorous self-regulation and control; that holds authority over clients; and that puts service to society above simple self interest” (Schwirian, 1998, p. 6). Nursing is just that, and with its specific body of knowledge, standards, and codes of ethics, it is only fitting that it be self-regulated (College of Nurses of Ontario, 2012). The College of Nurses works with registered nurses, registered practical nurses, and nurse practioners to determine whether or not standards and best practices are met and that the public’s safety is protected.

Shortly after beginning my nursing career at one of the most prestigious public nursing schools in Georgia, I recognized the significance of being a well-rounded student to become an individual who cares for the public. I wanted to embody a person who has the brains, the heart, the passion, and love for nursing. I had the privilege to work alongside fellow nursing students,

I recently accepted the Neuroscience ICU (NSICU) Nurse Manager position at the Medical University of South Carolina. The principals of transformational leadership and nursing distinction radiate throughout the facility, extending the brand of excellence towards nursing. Onboarding as a new leader requires agility and flexibility. I was able to capture the union of course content and application of my leadership practice.

* Nurse Champions- Represents nursing team members. Inputs the needs and feedback of nurses and clinical departments.

The Professional Nursing Organizations and Regulatory Agencies for Nursing are what nursing professionals look to for standards, guidance, support, rules and regulations, along with licensure and discipline if necessary. One example of a professional nursing organization (PNO) would be the American Nurses Association (ANA). The role of the ANA includes: promotion/ development of the nursing profession, involvement with legislation and policy making, supporting the nurse in order for the nurse to provide quality care for the those receiving care. The mission statement of the ANA is simple and direct... "nurses advancing our profession to improve health

On November 1st, 2016 I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Katherine M. Sawyer RN, BSN of Owosso, Michigan. Katherine, a female nurse who has worked in the nursing field for thirty-six years began her nursing career at Ingham Medical where she was a full-time staff-nurse for three years; then worked as a per-diem staff-nurse for eleven years. After working at Ingham for a total of fourteen years, Katherine obtained a position at Memorial Healthcare in Owosso where she worked as a nurse educator for fifteen years. Shortly after this she became a Basic Life Saving (BLS) instructor as her main role as a nurse educator was to provide nursing orientation and this additional role fit in perfectly. After some time she became involved in Quality Improvement for four years, and she has now switched back to the nurse educator role where she once again has the role of nursing orientation for Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Patient Care Techs (PCTs). The number of staff she teaches and orientates each month varies between one and ten individuals. She also teaches BLS and First Aid at Baker College of Owosso. Her contact information is as follows: Phone number (989) 413-1974 and e-mail address kmsawyer521@gmail.com. The purpose of this paper is to inform the reader of Sawyer’s role in the nursing profession as a nurse leader. Individuals will learn of Sawyer’s many different roles, responsibilities, and the organizational structure of Memorial

Nursing is a health care service mandated by society; the practice of nursing stems from the beliefs and ideals of the department of nursing (Nursing Management Faculty, 2013). My healthcare organization’s mission statement: A commitment to creating caring healing environments with authenticity and intentionality for all we reach and touch through practice excellence,

"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down. Joint Commission accreditation provides us a framework to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence,” said Winnie Cullens, Accreditation Coordinator. “This is our fourth Joint Commission certification for our organization, and it shows that we are committed to maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide.”

One agency that consumers utilize to assess healthcare organizations is the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission is an independent agency that provides accreditation and certification for quality, safety, value, and

Its goals is to promote quality with professional practice and to recognize excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients; and, to disseminate best practices in nursing services (Grant, Colello, Riehl, & Dende, 2010).

In 2008, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) launched an initiative to assess and reform the nursing profession to address the complex unique nursing needs for the current world. The IOM report published in 2010 calls on nurses to take greater role in the healthcare system by taking leadership roles and obtaining high level education. The report envisions nurses to use their full potential and attain academic progression to redesign the healthcare profession in United States.

Background - The modern nurse has a rewarding, but extra challenging, career. The role of the 21st century nurse is not limited to assisting physicians, but to be more of a partner with both the doctor and patient as an advocate, teacher, researcher, counselor, case manager, and of course, caregiver. Because of the complexities of the marketplace, HMOs, governmental structure, rising costs, lack of adequate staff and support, the nurse must rely on a number of tools in order to be effective and successful. The nurse must have the ability to analyze materials from other nurses and scholars, and must remain current with both scholarship and practice. It is therefore advantageous for the nurse to have access to understanding many of the theoretical templates that nursing scholarship has to offer. While unlikely that a nurse will utilize only one theoretical view, the more robust the toolbox, the better the nurse will be able to handle difficult situations (Kozier, Erb and Blais, 1997).

Furthermore, licensing and accreditation standards must be heightened to insure the quality of the nurses that enter the workforce. Certifying organizations must therefore mandate the proper demonstration of core competencies and skills prior to endowing students with the nursing title. The nursing profession, according to the IOM report, must undergo fundamental changes within the overall education of nurses. In many respects the basic

The Nurse of the Future Nursing Core Competencies (NOF Core Competencies) were selected to show the correlation of competency based education and practice partnership. This is being done nationwide so new student nurses would be more prepared with critical thinking and competent learned skills during clinicals. It encourages many nurses to continue their education with some becoming Doctors of Nursing, Nurse Practitioners’, Educators, Managers, and many more specialties.